Bitcoin Mining Weekly Report: Difficulty Adjustment, Industry Competition Landscape, and Global Expansion Developments

Source: CritpoTendencia Original Title: Summary: the Top 5 News Highlights of the Week in the Bitcoin Mining Industry Original Link:

Weekly Overview of the Bitcoin Mining Industry

The cryptocurrency market mostly showed negative performance at the close this week. Bitcoin prices experienced a strong rebound amid a complex market environment, and the Bitcoin mining industry also faced unfavorable conditions. Based on current indicators, this situation may persist for some time.

In accordance with usual practice, this report summarizes the 5 most relevant news stories in the industry this week. The most prominent factors include the continuous decline in network hash rate, which is a key indicator of the operation and security of major cryptocurrency blockchains.

It should be noted that digital mining activities play a central role in the crypto ecosystem. Their impact is reflected both in market liquidity and in network operational stability. Additionally, they are an essential part of the infrastructure that enables transaction processing and validation.

This makes monitoring the industry an important task for investors. Simply put, the state of the Bitcoin mining industry can to some extent influence Bitcoin prices, considering the structural importance of this activity within the system.

Top 5 Bitcoin Mining News of the Week

• Bitcoin difficulty drops to September levels
• Bitdeer confirms advantage over MARA
• Texas digital miners prepare for heavy snowfall
• Mining activity in Georgia grows due to low energy prices
• Ethiopia announces new digital mining plans

Bitcoin difficulty drops to September levels

On Thursday, Bitcoin mining difficulty decreased by 3.28%, reaching 141.67 T, a level not seen since September 2025. This bi-weekly automatic adjustment, serving as a self-regulating mechanism, aims to maintain an average block time close to 10 minutes. The decline provides temporary relief for miners facing increasing computational demands.

This is the second difficulty decrease since 2026, representing a moderate but timely breather for the industry. The adjustment coincides with last week’s 5.45% drop in revenue per petahash (PH/s), which lowered profitability. The reduction in difficulty helps partially offset this situation, aiding in stabilizing mining operations in a challenging environment.

Essentially, this mechanism ensures Bitcoin’s issuance schedule remains predictable and resistant to manipulation, regardless of changes in network computational power. For miners, this decline opens a window of opportunity to reorganize and consolidate operations amid market volatility.

Bitdeer confirms advantage over MARA

Bitdeer, measured by total hash rate, has become the largest company in the Bitcoin mining industry, surpassing MARA. As of December 2025, its combined capacity—including self-mining and hosting services—reached 71 EH/s, compared to MARA’s 61.7 EH/s. This growth is attributed to its proprietary SEALMINER chips, which significantly reduce energy consumption.

Its higher device efficiency enabled Bitdeer to mine 636 Bitcoins in December, a notable increase compared to the same period last year. The company has chosen to sell some of its Bitcoin to fund aggressive expansion into AI-related data centers in various countries.

Meanwhile, MARA continues to focus on consolidating its mining operations with Bitmain equipment and maintains a reserve of over 55,000 Bitcoins. In terms of market capitalization, MARA remains ahead with a valuation of $3.97 billion, ranking 7th, while Bitdeer reaches $3.37 billion, ranking 9th.

Texas digital miners prepare for heavy snowfall

A severe winter storm swept through the southern United States, threatening about 60 million people. In the face of such extreme weather events, Bitcoin miners often voluntarily reduce activity to alleviate grid stress, acting as a quick stabilizing resource for the power grid.

In the context of increasing renewable energy integration, this behavior becomes even more important. Miners can immediately shut down their equipment during peak demand and restart during excess supply to absorb surplus energy. It is estimated that this flexibility has saved Texas billions of dollars by avoiding the need to build backup gas plants.

Despite the approaching storm, large operators like Bitdeer claim to have specific protocols and do not anticipate major disruptions. They emphasize being regarded as flexible loads within the Texas grid and are prepared to reduce consumption if necessary, reaffirming the potential of mining to support energy infrastructure during crises.

Mining activity in Georgia grows due to low energy prices

Mining in Georgia is experiencing significant growth driven by low electricity prices and favorable regulatory frameworks. Recent reports indicate that mining farms now consume about 5% of the country’s total energy, nearly 80% more than the previous year.

This progress is related to the high value of digital assets in 2025 and government policies aimed at legitimizing and regulating the industry.

The largest energy consumer is AITEC Solution, with 403 million kWh, followed by Texprint Corporation and TFZ Service LLC. Although Georgia mainly generates electricity from renewable sources like hydro, the rapid increase in demand poses challenges to system stability.

While the country has maintained favorable tax policies for mining since 2019, it has also strengthened oversight to ensure orderly development.

This scenario contrasts with other former Soviet republics in the region, where mining booms have triggered tensions. For example, Russia has banned mining in several regions and is evaluating strict sanctions against illegal mining.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has implemented higher electricity prices and stricter regulations to manage demand. Georgia may consider this path in the future to balance sector growth with national energy stability.

Ethiopia announces new digital mining plans

Ethiopia has announced an official plan to utilize its abundant renewable energy capacity for mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The initiative was confirmed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, aiming to promote economic growth and strengthen the country’s financial inclusion. Mining activities will be managed through Ethiopia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, aligning with the sector’s growing trend of national participation.

The country plans to mainly use hydroelectric power from its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) to sustain these operations. This announcement marks a strategic shift toward viewing Bitcoin as a potential sovereign store of value, beyond its use as a commercial activity.

However, the expansion of the industry has put pressure on the power grid, leading to a suspension of new mining licenses last year.

With this decision, Ethiopia joins a group of Bitcoin mining countries supported by the state, including El Salvador, Russia, Bhutan, and the UAE. This move reflects a global trend reinforced by favorable cryptocurrency policies in major economies like the United States.